


A Timely Chat

by WritLarge



Series: JackRabbit 2017 fics [5]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Jackrabbit Week 2017, M/M, Short, for the time travel prompt though there's no actual travelling through time really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 10:33:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10695216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritLarge/pseuds/WritLarge
Summary: Ombric drops by to have a chat with Jack about his relationship with Bunny. As shovel talks go, it's not quite what Jack was expecting.





	A Timely Chat

“Is this a shovel talk?” 

“A what?” Ombric raised one bushy white eyebrow. He’d appeared early one morning, catching Jack just outside of Vilnius. They’d met once, briefly, not long after he’d had taken The Oath, when Jack hadn’t known about the history the other Guardians had together, or Bunny’s friendship with the Altantean wizard turned Father Time.

“You want to make sure I’m good enough for Bunny,” he explained, hopping up on his staff, “maybe make some vague threats in case I break his heart or something.” Ombric continued to look perplexed. Huh.

Jack and Bunny had fallen into a relationship over the past few months. It was new for both of them, and neither had actually realized what their closeness meant until they were in the thick of it. It was good though. It helped that they could each understand the awkwardness the other felt and were able to make the space they both needed as their feelings deepened. 

They hadn’t actually told anyone yet though. It figured that Father Time would see it happening. Jack had watched enough science fiction to know that time travel powers meant potentially experiencing things out of order.

Ombric finally spoke, “I have no intention of threatening you.”

“Okay.” So what did the old guy want then?

Ombric sighed and turned to stare off into the distance.

“It’s harder this way. I didn’t realize it would be. Bunnymund used to be quite determined to keep me from affecting the timeline.” Ombric smiled a little.

“I’ll bet.” 

“But as things are, I’ve become the keeper of Time, and Bunnymund... he’s different even as he’s not.” Ombric looked back at Jack. “Forgive me for so poorly organizing my thoughts. I see a great deal, Jack, but truly, I would like to see Bunnymund happy.”

“Me too.” Jack was doing his best to make them both happy. Was he screwing things up? Was that why Ombric had appeared now?

“It’s entirely possible, as an outcome. Unfortunately, the opposite is also likely.”

“Not if I have any say in it.” He hopped down and closed the distance between them, standing as near to Ombric as he could without stepping on the hem of his robes.

“Bunnymund’s demeanour, that is to say, his disposition can occasionally be... difficult,” and wasn’t that the most diplomatic way of saying that Bunny was sometimes grumpy, arrogant, and defensive as hell?

Jack laughed, “I get that. Do you know how we met?” 

“I am aware.” The man’s eyes sparkled a little. So he had heard. The Blizzard of ‘68 had apparently been the talk of the spirit world for a good decade after it had happened, which better explained why Bunny had held such a grudge against Jack. He’d been as much embarrassed as angered.

“Well, we worked that out without bloodshed. Not that we don’t argue sometimes, but it’s fun now, you know?” Jack leaned on his staff and watched Ombric for signs of understanding now that the man seemed to be softening and making more sense. “Was there something specific you wanted to warn me about?”

“No. I wish I had clarity to offer. But as his friend, I would caution you to not to take him quite as seriously as he intends you to. His feelings still often hide his behind his thoughts.”

“He’s a bit sensitive deep under all that fur and bravado, isn’t he?” 

“I’m not sure I’d use those exact words,” Ombric chuckled, “but something like that. For all his protestations, Bunnymund has always felt more than he realizes. He certainly feels a great deal for you.”

“I know. I care about him too. I’ll take it seriously, I promise.”

“Oh, not too seriously, I hope,” Ombric grinned. “You wouldn’t be yourself if you did and Bunnymund would hardly thank me for that. And now, I should let you get home. It’s late.”

Father Time tapped his own curved staff and began to blur out of time, Jack realized.

“Uh, you don’t have to go. You could come back with-”

“Another time, Jack.” And he was gone. 

Okay, then. For a first shovel talk, that had been pretty painless. Hopefully the other Guardians would be as calm and considerate when they found out, though Jack doubted it. He was expecting drama from North. There was no point in worrying about it too much, however. Jack may not have been able to see what the future would hold for them, but he was sure that he and Bunny would face it together and that would be enough.


End file.
